My coworker made a good point of following Nancy Pearl's advice when a student told her that she stopped reading David Copperfield after fifty pages. The student had started the book in August and kept trying to force herself to read. After college started, and she had homework to do, she gave up. She told us this sounding somewhat embarrassed, but Laura to her that this was acceptable. We told her that at a workshop that we had attended, we were told that it is ok to stop after attempting to read 50 pages because you don't have to force yourself to read a book. She was surprised to hear this but seemed relieved. The student is an English major and does enjoy reading and writing. She said she is working on her first novel. I am starting to realize that I have many opportunities to advise readers that can be missed if I don't pick up on these chance encounters.
Right now I am forcing myself to read the Dante Club. I have read over two hundred pages and keep thinking that I'll start liking it. It must be a style of book that I usually would not pick to read. I keep telling myself that I am stretching out of my usual comfort zone for reading.